Water-meter.



PATENTED OUT. 13, 1903.

P. LAMBERT.

WATER METER.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 28, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

PATBNTED OCT. 13, 1903. F. LAMBERT.

WATER METER. APPLIUATION FILED APR. 28, 1902.

no MODEL. I 2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

. 6 W 9 I5 I /5 2/ 3/ ms scams PETERS co. Puma-urns WASMINGTON, a c.

Patented October 13, 1903;

PATENT rricn.

FRANK LAMBERT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

WATER-METER SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,252,dated October 13, 1903.

Application filed April 2 8, 1 90 2.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK LAMBERT, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of New York city, borough of Brooklyn, Kings county, State ofNew York, have invented Improvements in Water-Meters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to water-meters, and more particularly to metershaving a measuring-chamber in an external pressure shell or casing.

The objectof this invention is to construct a meter in which the partswill be maintained in the normal relative positions during apredetermined internal pressure, but under a greater internal pressure,due to expansion from freezing of the contents or from any other cause,the parts will separate and prevent the bursting of the meter. By thepresent construction this releasing of the parts, caused by supernormalinternal pressure, takes place without any distortion of the meter, theparts being held together by frictional means capable of withstanding apredetermined pressure, but adapted to be driven out of position by agreater pressure.

In the accompanyingdrawings I have shown several diiferent constructionsto illustrate the principle of my invention, but I do not limit myselfto the forms here shown.

Figure 1 is a central sectional elevation of so much of a meter as isnecessary to illustrate my invention, the lower part of the easing andthe parts contained therein being shown as if taken on the broken line 11 of Fig. 2 for clearness. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a central sectional elevation of a meter, showing a modification ofmy invention. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of a meter,showing anothermodification. Fig. 5 is a detail view of a part shown inFig. 4.

The generic construction and operation of metersof the kind here shownare so well known that a description thereof is omitted.

Referring to Fig. l, the external casing 1 is formed with an opening forthe admission of the measuring-chamber 2 3, which is closely but freelyfitted in the bored portion of the casing 1, the said chamber beingstopped in normal position by its upper face coming in contact with ashoulder 4 in the casing. The

$erial No. 105,061. (No model.)

measuring-chamber may consist of any number of sections, theconstruction here shown having two sections. Awater-tight joint betweenthe casing and the measuring-chamber is formed by interposing between ashoulder 5 on the casing and a flange 6 on the measuring-chamber apacking-ring 7.

The frictional clamping device, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, may consistof an expansionpiece 8, made of metal, hard rubber, or other suitablematerial, preferably having an outline similar to that shown in plan inFig. 2 that is, having arms only that extend to the circumference andbeing in cross section curved or dish-shaped, as shown in Fig. 1 a plate9, loose within the opening in the easing 1, and means for drawing thetwo parts 8 and 9 together, with the concave side of the piece 8 againstthe plate 9, whereby the piece 8 will flatten out and its outer edgescome into frictional contact with the inner wall of the opening in thecasing 1. The intensity of the friction between the expansion-piece 8and this casing 1 will vary with the amount of flattening given theexpansion piece 8 against the rigid plate 9, and this can readily beadjusted by drawing and holding the parts 8 and 9 together by a properscrew. However, after the meter leaves the factory, where properadjustment of the tension can be made and tested, it is generally takenapart by inspectors or others, and it is important that means beprovided for keeping the friction constant after it has been onceadjusted to resist a predetermined internal pressure. Such means mayconsist of the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Ascrew 10 is screwedinto the rigid plate 9 as far as it will go, its outer end projectingthrough a central opening in the expansion-piece 8. An adjustingnut 11,screwing onto screw 10 and bearing against the central part of theexpansionpiece 8 todraw it closer to the plate 9, causes the piece 8' tobe flattened against the plate 9 and expand, so that the outer edges ofthe piece 8 will bind against the inner face of the casing 1 with anamount of friction proportional to the degree of flattening from thenormal curvature of the piece 8.

When the adjusting'nut 11 has been tightened up sufliciently to give therequisite degree of frictional intensity to the piece 8, so

that it will withstand a predetermined pressure, a check-nut 12 isscrewed on tight. Then when it is necessary to take the meter apart thescrew 10 is unscrewed from its bearing in the plate 9 without changingthe position of the adjusting and check nuts 11 and 12 to release theexpansion-piece 8, and when the meter is again put together and thescrew 10 screwed home the adjusting-nut 11 will have caused an expansionof the piece 8 to the same degree as originally given it.

Screws 13, screwing into and through plate 9, serve to force themeasuring-chamber 2 3 into proper position to compress the packing 7 toform a water-tight joint for closing the casing 1.

The operation is as follows: The meter parts are placed in position, thescrew 10 screwed home in the plate 9, and the adjusting-nut 11 screwedup until the piece 8 binds against the casing 1. The screws 13 are thentightened against the measuring-chamber to close the joint 5 6 7properly. Then by adjusting the nut 11 under tests the intensity of thefriction of the expansion clamp is brought up to a predeterminedpointthat is, the clamp is made to withstand a certain degree ofinternal pressure without moving, but not to stand a greater pressure.This predetermined point is safely beyond the water-pressure service.Then when a supernormal internal pressure occurs from freezing or othercause the entire measuringchamber or the lower section only may beforced out of place, driving the friction-clamp downward. In otherwords, when the internal pressure reaches a point that the frictionclampwill not stand this friction-clamp gives and allows the sections 2 and 3to move apart and increase the content or cubic space in themeasuring-chamber and also allows the whole measuring-chamber to movedownward, and thus increase the content or cubic space in thepressure-casing.

Fig. 3 shows a modification of the frictional clamping means. A rigiddisk 14 and a split ring 15, surrounding the disk, take the place of theexpansion-piece 8, the said ring and disk having contiguous faces cut tosuch a bevel that as the disk 14 is drawn nearer to the plate 9, againstwhich the ring 15 bears, as shown, the disk will bear against the ringin such a direction as to cause the latter to expand and bind againstthe casing 1. The split ring may be of metal or hard rubber. The ring 15is represented as of metal faced with soft material 21, such as rubberor leather, so that the friction will take place between metal and softmaterial. This facing is not essential. The screw 16 passes freelythrough a central opening in the disk 14 and has a shoulder 17 bearingagainst the disk 14 to force the latter toward the plate 9 when screw 16is screwed into this plate. A screw 18, screwing into and through theexternal screw 16, is made to bear against the measuring chamber '2 3 toforce it to its seat, as ex plained in reference to screws 13 in Fig. 1,after the friction-clamp has been tightened by the external screw 16. Ifdesired to prevent the friction-clamp and measuring-chamber fromdropping or being forced completely out of the casing 1, suitable meansmay be adopted. As shown in Fig. 3, washers 19, secured to the bottom ofeasing 1 by screws 19*, project within the circumference of the openingof the casing. This Fig. 3 shows elastic packing 20 between the shoulderi of the casing and section 2 of the measuringchamber, but thearrangements of packing 7 and 20 in connection with the flanged cham berform part of and are claimed in a separate application, Serial No.105,059.

In Figs. 4 and 5 a very simple and reliable arrangement is shown. Itconsists of an expansion-ring 22, having ataper hole 23 drilled and aradial slit 24 cut through the ring, the said slit passing through thecenter of thetaper hole. A taper nut 25, inserted in the hole, can bedrawn by the screw 26 to force the split ring to expand in tight contactwith the internal wall of the pressure-casing. By making the angle ofthe taper nut very acute an enormous pressure against the casing can beobtained. The three screws 27 are to force the measuringchamber to itsseat after the expansion-ring has been fastened into position.

The frictional means for holding the parts together against internalpressure, the device for adjusting the intensity of the friction, andthe screws for pressing the chamber into place and tightening the jointmay be greatly modified or any other forms of frictional means,adjusting and tightening devices, may be used without departing from myinvention.

By slightly tapering the outlet of the easing, with the smaller endoutward, it will be evident that the tension on the friction-clamp willbe increased as it is driven outward.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In a water-meter, an external casing, a'

measuring-chamber, and an expansion device for holding said chamber insaid casing by friction.

2. In a .water-1neter, an external casing, a measuring-chamber andfrictional means for holding said chamber in said casing againstinternal pressure, the intensity of the friction of said means beingadjustable to the internal pressure to be resisted by saidmeasuringchamber.

3. In a water-meter, an external casing, a measuring-chamber and africtional devicefor holding said chamber in said casing againstinternal pressure, means for adjusting the intensity of the friction ofsaid device to the internal pressure to be resisted by saidmeasuring-chamber, said means adapted to keep said friction constantafter it has once been adjusted to resist a predetermined internalpressure.

1. In a water-meter, an external casing,

mounted therein a measuring chamber formed of a plurality of sectionsand frictional means for holding said sections close together in saidexternal casing, the parts being so arranged that with undue pressurethe sections of the measuring-chamber may be forced out of the external.casing and the various sections of the measuring-chamber be free topart.

5. Ina Water-meter, an external casing, a measuringchamber andfrictional means for holding said chamber in said casing against :0internal pressure, said means and easing be- 1

